Devar/5769/Vaetchanan
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עברית
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But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day (Deut 4:4)
Moshe is telling the Children of Israel, before they enter the Land, that whoever had lusted after "Baal Peor" is already dead -- but they, who "clove to God", all remained alive.
Clearly he is speaking in the present tense, to the Children of Israel who are standing in front of him. But he is also speaking to us today, to all those who have lived in all the generations since then. Because there is no "life" excepting one cleave to the Torah and her commandments -- which bring one to the World to Come. And those people who "live it up" in the foolishness of their times -- they are causing themselves to lose out on true "life".
But even for such as these, there is hope -- since teshuva (repentance) is available to them. As the Rambam states, How excellent is the level of teshuva! Yesterday he was separated from the Lord God of Israel … cries out and is not answered … performs mitsvot and they are "torn up" in front of him … but today he is connected with the shechina (Holy presence), as the verse states "But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God". He cries out and is immediately answered… performs mitsvot and they are received with pleasure and happiness… (Laws of Repentance 7:8). And therefore it is extremely important that those who truly "cleave to God", do not push away those who are not yet so attached; rather, they should show them by their behavior that truly Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace (Prov 3:17).
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